Chopin’s Waltz in A minor, Op. 34, No. 2 (Given in E minor in this arrangement for guitar) is one of his most introspective and emotionally charged waltzes.

It is believed to have been composed in 1831, during Chopin’s early years in Vienna, though it wasn’t published until 1838. Written shortly after Chopin left Poland following the failed November Uprising (1830–31), this piece reflects a deep sense of exile, loss, and longing. It is the second of three waltzes in Opus 34, collectively titled Grandes Valses Brillantes, though this particular waltz is anything but “brillante.”

It opens with a slow, mournful theme, reminiscent of a funeral procession moving slowly through a village, followed by a fragmented melody, with pauses and subtle shifts, as if searching for emotional footing. Its chromatic touches create a sense of melancholy and vulnerability. The music then develops through subtle harmonic shifts and rhythmic hesitations, ending with a long, drawn-out and unresolved fade, after which there is an unexpected return to the dirge-like opening.

Unlike Chopin´s more virtuosic waltzes, this one avoids glittering passagework. It’s intimate, restrained, and emotionally raw.

This waltz is often seen as a musical elegy, not for a person, but for a lost homeland or innocence. The minor key, slow tempo, and sparse texture evoke a sense of solitude and introspection.  Some scholars suggest it reflects Chopin’s melancholy over Poland’s political fate, while others think of it it as a personal lament, possibly tied to romantic disappointment or artistic isolation.

The piece demands emotional maturity from the performer. It is not about technical brilliance but about expressive nuance. Its rubato is essential to conveying its sighing, speech-like phrasing.

On the guitar its sits much better in E minor than it does A minor, which is why I arranged it in the former instead of the latter.

Score: 5 pages

Comments: 5 pages

Below is a link to Youtube if you want to know what this piece sounds like on classical guitar (Performed by Carlo Corrieri)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMDUT1DlUQs&list=RDaMDUT1DlUQs&start_radio=1

Thanks for tuning in. Wishing you much musical enjoyment and many rewarding hours with our instrument, the classical guitar.

Michael

Contact. If you’d like to reach out - whether about repertoire, arrangements, or upcoming projects - feel free to email me at mdebakerclassicalguitar@use.startmail.com